Anonymous wrote:If you’re really going to try & shoulder all of this without help, I would stock a lot in my freezer & prep like mad.

1. Vegetarian chili (make ahead & freeze) + cornbread. Have shredded cheddar & sour cream as toppings. If anyone insists on meat, get a rotisserie chicken - slice it up and offer it as toppings too.

2. Mediterranean. Spanakopita (I make appetizer sized triangles with phyllo & freeze them), falafel (can she eat chickpea flour? Or is this an allergy?), store-bought hummus (Mil can skip), tabbouleh (I just use the boxed mix & add tons of parsley & cucumbers, tomatoes), baked fish with lemon & za’atar. For vegetarians, you can sear some halloumi.

3. Rice bowls. Cook rice ahead of time & freeze. Sauté diced seitan with frozen corn, onions, black beans. Season with cumin, coriander, and a pinch of smoked paprika/ancho pepper. While that’s cooking, roast wedges of sweet potato. Mix yogurt with lime and spread liberally into bottom of each bowl. Then add rice, then veg-seitan mix + sweet potatoes.

4. Indian. Freeze rice ahead of time. Freeze shredded greens & shredded ginger for quick palak paneer assembly. Many dals can be made ahead & frozen. Chutneys & condiments can also be frozen ahead. The gravy for many curries can be frozen ahead (just keep any dairy out & add it back in at the end of cook time). Naans & parathas can be frozen ahead.

5. Italian. Veg Lasagna (assemble & freeze ahead of time) Or, spaghetti & meatballs (make & freeze sauce ahead of time; use beyond meat for meatballs). Or, diy pasta bowls (I usually put out pesto, tomato sauce, roasted broccoli, black olives, shredded Parmesan, and chopped sausage/vegan sausage). Serve with green salad.

6. Spanish. Gazpacho (make 1 day ahead & refrigerate). Tapas: potato tortilla, manchego & tapenade on toast, baked aubergines and/or stuffed peppers. Shrimp in garlic oil, grilled veg with romesco sauce. Prep all ahead & assemble for dinner.

7. Grill. Veg burgers or fish, grilled corn, slaw.

Anonymous wrote:If you’re really going to try & shoulder all of this without help, I would stock a lot in my freezer & prep like mad.

1. Vegetarian chili (make ahead & freeze) + cornbread. Have shredded cheddar & sour cream as toppings. If anyone insists on meat, get a rotisserie chicken - slice it up and offer it as toppings too.

2. Mediterranean. Spanakopita (I make appetizer sized triangles with phyllo & freeze them), falafel (can she eat chickpea flour? Or is this an allergy?), store-bought hummus (Mil can skip), tabbouleh (I just use the boxed mix & add tons of parsley & cucumbers, tomatoes), baked fish with lemon & za’atar. For vegetarians, you can sear some halloumi.

3. Rice bowls. Cook rice ahead of time & freeze. Sauté diced seitan with frozen corn, onions, black beans. Season with cumin, coriander, and a pinch of smoked paprika/ancho pepper. While that’s cooking, roast wedges of sweet potato. Mix yogurt with lime and spread liberally into bottom of each bowl. Then add rice, then veg-seitan mix + sweet potatoes.

4. Indian. Freeze rice ahead of time. Freeze shredded greens & shredded ginger for quick palak paneer assembly. Many dals can be made ahead & frozen. Chutneys & condiments can also be frozen ahead. The gravy for many curries can be frozen ahead (just keep any dairy out & add it back in at the end of cook time). Naans & parathas can be frozen ahead.

5. Italian. Veg Lasagna (assemble & freeze ahead of time) Or, spaghetti & meatballs (make & freeze sauce ahead of time; use beyond meat for meatballs). Or, diy pasta bowls (I usually put out pesto, tomato sauce, roasted broccoli, black olives, shredded Parmesan, and chopped sausage/vegan sausage). Serve with green salad.

6. Spanish. Gazpacho (make 1 day ahead & refrigerate). Tapas: potato tortilla, manchego & tapenade on toast, baked aubergines and/or stuffed peppers. Shrimp in garlic oil, grilled veg with romesco sauce. Prep all ahead & assemble for dinner.

7. Grill. Veg burgers or fish, grilled corn, slaw.

Anonymous wrote:Order in. A lot.

Anonymous wrote:If you’re really going to try & shoulder all of this without help, I would stock a lot in my freezer & prep like mad.

1. Vegetarian chili (make ahead & freeze) + cornbread. Have shredded cheddar & sour cream as toppings. If anyone insists on meat, get a rotisserie chicken - slice it up and offer it as toppings too.

2. Mediterranean. Spanakopita (I make appetizer sized triangles with phyllo & freeze them), falafel (can she eat chickpea flour? Or is this an allergy?), store-bought hummus (Mil can skip), tabbouleh (I just use the boxed mix & add tons of parsley & cucumbers, tomatoes), baked fish with lemon & za’atar. For vegetarians, you can sear some halloumi.

3. Rice bowls. Cook rice ahead of time & freeze. Sauté diced seitan with frozen corn, onions, black beans. Season with cumin, coriander, and a pinch of smoked paprika/ancho pepper. While that’s cooking, roast wedges of sweet potato. Mix yogurt with lime and spread liberally into bottom of each bowl. Then add rice, then veg-seitan mix + sweet potatoes.

4. Indian. Freeze rice ahead of time. Freeze shredded greens & shredded ginger for quick palak paneer assembly. Many dals can be made ahead & frozen. Chutneys & condiments can also be frozen ahead. The gravy for many curries can be frozen ahead (just keep any dairy out & add it back in at the end of cook time). Naans & parathas can be frozen ahead.

5. Italian. Veg Lasagna (assemble & freeze ahead of time) Or, spaghetti & meatballs (make & freeze sauce ahead of time; use beyond meat for meatballs). Or, diy pasta bowls (I usually put out pesto, tomato sauce, roasted broccoli, black olives, shredded Parmesan, and chopped sausage/vegan sausage). Serve with green salad.

6. Spanish. Gazpacho (make 1 day ahead & refrigerate). Tapas: potato tortilla, manchego & tapenade on toast, baked aubergines and/or stuffed peppers. Shrimp in garlic oil, grilled veg with romesco sauce. Prep all ahead & assemble for dinner.

7. Grill. Veg burgers or fish, grilled corn, slaw.

Anonymous wrote:[code]

My husband’s family is visiting from overseas for 3 weeks over the summer.
We will probably travel half the time but while they are staying with us, I need to feed them.

I’m used to cooking for 5 people but now it will be 12 people and that’s very different.
Also, my husband’s mother is strictly vegetarian but won’t eat salads, veggie burgers or tofu among other things. She typically eats her own cooking - Indian food. I will likely have to make her food separately too.
That’s another issue because she won’t eat chick peas and all my Indian food recipes are with chicken or chick peas.

But for the rest of the group who eat anything but red meat - any recipes that work for large groups???
Breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas

I’ll make my homemade macaroni and cheese for kids and large salads to have on hand along with sandwich supplies. Maybe a French toast casserole one morning and sometimes they will have eggs/toast or cereal and fruit.

But I’m overwhelmed by this. I’m a decent cook but I get nervous trying new recipes for other people so I’m going to start experimenting soon.

Any easy meal recipes appreciated since I’m likely shopping, planning, cooking and cleaning alone.

Anonymous wrote:I would get a caterer or a sous chef. Not kidding, that’s too many people to cook for for one person.

You need to make breakfast self serve. Assign someone to get bagels every morning. Have cream cheeses, precut fruit, smoked salmon, red onion, that sort of thing. Anything else they can go out and get. Maybe do a big crock pot oatmeal option some of the days.

Lunch is out of the house. It has to be.

If you’re really only cooking for dinner, you *might* not die. Make every other night restaurant or take out or catered.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you’re really going to try & shoulder all of this without help, I would stock a lot in my freezer & prep like mad.

1. Vegetarian chili (make ahead & freeze) + cornbread. Have shredded cheddar & sour cream as toppings. If anyone insists on meat, get a rotisserie chicken - slice it up and offer it as toppings too.

2. Mediterranean. Spanakopita (I make appetizer sized triangles with phyllo & freeze them), falafel (can she eat chickpea flour? Or is this an allergy?), store-bought hummus (Mil can skip), tabbouleh (I just use the boxed mix & add tons of parsley & cucumbers, tomatoes), baked fish with lemon & za’atar. For vegetarians, you can sear some halloumi.

3. Rice bowls. Cook rice ahead of time & freeze. Sauté diced seitan with frozen corn, onions, black beans. Season with cumin, coriander, and a pinch of smoked paprika/ancho pepper. While that’s cooking, roast wedges of sweet potato. Mix yogurt with lime and spread liberally into bottom of each bowl. Then add rice, then veg-seitan mix + sweet potatoes.

4. Indian. Freeze rice ahead of time. Freeze shredded greens & shredded ginger for quick palak paneer assembly. Many dals can be made ahead & frozen. Chutneys & condiments can also be frozen ahead. The gravy for many curries can be frozen ahead (just keep any dairy out & add it back in at the end of cook time). Naans & parathas can be frozen ahead.

5. Italian. Veg Lasagna (assemble & freeze ahead of time) Or, spaghetti & meatballs (make & freeze sauce ahead of time; use beyond meat for meatballs). Or, diy pasta bowls (I usually put out pesto, tomato sauce, roasted broccoli, black olives, shredded Parmesan, and chopped sausage/vegan sausage). Serve with green salad.

6. Spanish. Gazpacho (make 1 day ahead & refrigerate). Tapas: potato tortilla, manchego & tapenade on toast, baked aubergines and/or stuffed peppers. Shrimp in garlic oil, grilled veg with romesco sauce. Prep all ahead & assemble for dinner.

7. Grill. Veg burgers or fish, grilled corn, slaw.

These are all good suggestions but who has the freezer space to prep and freeze 5+ meals that are enough to serve 15 people, plus whatever else needs to be in their freezer?